Multiple yarn stop motion assembly



MULTIPLE YARN STOP MOTION ASSEMBLY Filed March 15. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGI.

mvzm'onz MICHAEL ANTONEVICH BY MW ATTYS.

April 23, 1968 M. ANTONEVICH MULTIPLE YARN STOP MOTION ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 15. 1966 FIG. 2.

INVENTORI MICHAEL ANTONEVICH fiw/WW ATTYS.

United States Patent 3,379,037 MULTIPLE YARN STOP MGTION ASSEMBLY Michael Autonevich, Somerset, N..ll., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Crawford Stop-Motion Co., Inc., New Brunswick, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 534,474 10 Claims. (Cl. 66-163) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A stop motion and signal light at each yarn of a multifeed circular knitting machine. Yarn breakage closes a circuit through a first coil which in turn closes a circuit to a second coil. When energized the second coil opens the drive motor circuit. To ensure sufficient current to the first coil and all signal lights a half wave rectifier shunts the first coil.

The present invention relates to a stop motion assembly for textile machinery embodying multiple yarns, and has particular application to a stop motion assembly for multifeed' circular knitting machines.

Multifeed knitting machines conventionally comprise a plurality of individual yarn supplies such as bobbins which furnish yarn to the multiple feed stations of the knitting machine. The yarns are subject to breakage and a stop motion is provided for each yarn supply which is tripped to arrest the operation of the knitting machine in the event of yarn breakage or other failure in the yarn supply. Since one operator is responsible for the operation of several machines, each machine conventionally includes a signal light which is illuminated when the machine is arrested. When the machine stops, due to breakage or other failure of the yarn supply, the operator must inspect the machine to locate the yarn which tripped the stop motion and in multiple feed machines, this may be a difficult task. In order to simplify this task, it has been proposed in the past to group the stop motions into sections and to provide a separate signal or indicator to inform the operator of the section in which the yarn failure occurred. Although sectional arrangements of this type reduce the time for locating the tripped stop motion, it was still difficult and time-consuming to find the tripped motion, especially when the machine includes several hundred stop motions.

With the foregoing in mind, the present invention provides a novel stop motion assembly in which each stop motion is provided with a signal device which is energized upon tripping of the stop motion so as to inform the operator of the specific stop motion which has been tripped.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a stop motion assembly of this type wherein the signal device remains effective regardless of the number of stop motions which have been tripped.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a stop motion assembly which is economical in power consumption yet which is fully effective in operation and use.

All of the objects of the present invention are more fully set forth hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a knitting machine embodying a stop motion assembly in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic wiring diagram of the stop motion assembly shown in FIG. 1.

With reference to FIG. 1, the invention is illustrated as applied to a multifeed circular knitting machine having a rotary needle bed 10 which mounts conventional knitting needles therein for rotation about a central standard 11. A plurality of feed stations is provided to cooperate with the needle bed, one of which is shown diagrammatically at 12. The feed station 12 is furnished yarn from a yarn supply, in the present instance a bobbin 14 mounted on a frame 15 supported on the central standard 11 projecting upwardly from a base frame 19. The yarn from the bobbin 14 travels through a guide ring 16, through a stop motion 17, a second guide ring 18, to the feed station 12. The stop motions 17 for the several feed stations are arranged at a plurality of levels corresponding in number to the levels of the bobbin support frames 15, one of which is shown in FIG. 1.

In accordance with the conventional arrangement, each stop motion is connected between a stop motion supply bus 22 (see FIG. 2) and ground so that upon failure of the yarn supply, the stop motion is tripped, grounding the supply bus 22. Grounding of the supply bus 22 energizes the controller 23 for the knitting machine, which opens the circuit to the drive motor 24 of the knitting machine, stopping the machine. When the controller 23 is energized, the machine signal light 25 is also energized to indicate that the machine is inoperative.

In accordance with the present invention, an individual signal light is provided for each stop motion and is operable to be energized when the particular stop motion is tripped. To this end, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each stop motion 17 includes a signal light 31 which is visible from the knitting floor. In order to provide sufficient current or power to energize the individual stop motion signal lights 31, in addition to the controller 23 and the machine signal light 25, a power unit 32 is provided. As shown in FIG. 2, the power unit includes switching means, comprising a relay having a coil 33 in parallel circuit relationship to an asymmetrically conductive device, in the present instance a half-wave rectifier 34. Alternating current power is supplied to the power unit 32 by a transformer 35 which may be connected at one side to line voltage, for example volts, and operable to supply a control voltage, for example 16 volts, to the line 36. In the power unit, the relay coil 33 is connected at one side to the supply line 36 and is connected at the other side to the stop motion bus 22 through a fuse 37 having a highresistance shunt 38 therearound.

Each stop motion 17, which may be of the general type shown in US. Patent No. 2,410,718, comprises contacts 41 which are operable to be closed when the yarn breaks or runs out or is subject to other failure. Closure of the contacts 41 completes a circuit to ground from the stop motion supply bus 22 through the stop motion signal 31. A high-resistance shunt is provided across the signal light 31, so that in the event the signal light 31 becomes disconnected, burns out, or opens, a circuit from the stop motion bus 22 to ground is completed through the resist ance 42. Completion of the circuit to ground upon tripping of the stop motion 17 energizes the relay 33, closing the relay contacts 43. Closure of the contacts 43 connects the controller to the supply line 36, thereby energizing the controller including both the control relay 44 and the machine signal light 25. Energization of the relay 44 opens the controller contacts 46, thereby opening the circuit to the motor 24 of the circular machine and arresting the operation of the machine. A switch 47 is provided in the controller 23 to inactivate the stop motion during threading-up operations and the like when it is desired to operate the motor 24 while one or more of the stop motions 17 is tripped. It is noted that the switch 47 does not affect the energization of the machine signal light 25 which serves to indicate that the individual stop motions are tripped, even though the stop motion is in- 3 effective to arrest operation of the knitting machine motor 24.

In accordance with the invention, the stop motion assembly operates effectively to arrest the machine regardless of the number of individual stop motions which are tripped. Under certain machine conditions, it may occur that several of the stop motions 17 are tripped simultaneously. Since the stop motions provide parallel circuits to ground, the stop motion indicator lights 31 provide, under these conditions, an extremely low resistance path to ground. For example, if six stop motions are tripped simultaneously, the resistance in the circuit between the stop motion bus 22 and ground is reduced to of the resistance if a single stop motion is tripped. This substantially reduced resistance will cause a surge of current which might burn out the relay 33 or the transformer 35. To prevent this, the fuse 37 is interposed in the circuit, as shown, as that if there is a high current surge, the fuse 37 is broken. When the fuse breaks, means must be provided to operate the switching means to activate the controller to stop the knitting machine, and the shunt 38 around the fuse 37 maintains the connection between the bus 22 and the relay 33, supplying the additional resistance necessary to prevent burning-out of the elements. Thus, when the fuse 37 is opened, the current flows through the shunting resistor 38 to energize the relay 33.

It has been found desirable in order to provide suflicient current to the individual indicator lights 31 to provide an asymmetrically conductive device, such as the half-wave rectifier 34 bypassing the relay 33. When the stop motion bus 22 is grounded through one or more of the stop motions 17, the half-wave rectifier provides a direct path for current to the bus 22 during alternate half-cycles, shunting the coil 33; and in the remaining half-cycles, the rectifier blocks this path to direct the current through the relay coil 33 which energizes the same to close the contacts 43. Thus, there is sufficient current fiow directly to the bus 22 to enable energization of the indicator lights 31, while maintaining sufficient current fiow through the relay coil 33 to effect energization of the controller 23. With this arrangement, it is possible to use a low-current coil in the relay 33.

Thus, the present invention provides a stop motion assembly wherein each stop motion is provided with an individual signal light and which operates effectively to stop the knitting machine regardless of the number of stop motions Which are tripped. In the event of failure of the individual signal lights, the stop motion remains effective and the electrical components of the assembly are protected against burn-out.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been herein illustrated and described, it is not intended to limit the invention to such disclosure, but changes and modifications may be made therein and thereto within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A stop motion assembly for multiple yarn textile machinery comprising a stop motion bus, a stop motion for each yarn operable upon failure of the yarn supply to close a circuit to said bus, a signal device in each stop motion rendered operable by the flow of current upon closure of said circuit to energize said controller, and current control means operable to afford sufiicient current flow both to said bus and to said switching means upon closure of said circuit, whereby upon tripping of a stop motion said controller and said signal are both energized, to arrest operation of the machinery and to indicate the stop motion which has been tripped respectively.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 including resistance means bypassing said signal device in each stop motion to assure current flow in the event of failure of said device.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 including means intermediate said power supply and said bus to limit the current flow from said power supply to a safe level upon simultaneous tripping of a plurality of said stop motions.

4. An assembly according to claim 3 wherein said intermediate limiting means comprises a fuse and a resistance by-passing said fuse.

5. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said switching means comprises a relay having a coil in parallel with said current control means operable to be energized upon closure of said circuit, and normally-open relay contacts operable upon energization of said coil to complete a circuit to said controller.

6. An assembly according to claim 5 including a machine signal connected to said relay contacts and operable to be energized upon closure of said circuit to said bus.

7. An assembly according to claim 6 wherein said controller includes a switch to interrupt energization thereof without interrupting energization of said machine signal.

8. An assembly according to claim 5 wherein said power supply comprises a transformer operable to supply alternating current to said power unit, and wherein further said current control means comprises an asymmetrically conductive device providing a direct path for current to said bus during a selected portion of each cycle of said alternating current.

9. An assembly according to claim 8 wherein said asymmetrically conductive device consists of a half-wave rectifier.

10. An assembly according to claim 5 wherein said signal comprises a light mounted on said stop motion to be visible from the floor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,383,838 8/ 1945 Auble 66-163 2,390,799 12/1945 Linsenmeyer et a1. 28-51 2,473,916 6/1949 Snyder 28-51 2,880,381 3/ 1959 Antonevich 66-163 XR 3,021,401 2/1962 Young 66-163 XR WM. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner. 

